src.rpm/specfile, GPL violation

[Steve Bostedor]

You are correct, Kyle.  They are the authors and the GPL license is in
place to protect them and not us.  The GPL isn't in place to give us the
right to their code but rather to protect their rights while graciously
giving us their code.  Let's not be greedy, ok?  They've worked hard and
released a great tool for free and even given out the source code.
Attacking them because they didn't do it the way that you wanted them to
as if you're a paying customer is just not right. 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: vnc-list-admin "at" realvnc.com 
> [mailto:vnc-list-admin "at" realvnc.com] On Behalf Of Kyle McDonald
> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2005 10:53 AM
> To: Rex Dieter
> Cc: vnc-list "at" realvnc.com
> Subject: Re: src.rpm/specfile, GPL violation
> 
> Rex Dieter wrote:
> 
> >
> > RealVNC is violating the GPL (unknowningly or not) by failing to 
> > provide the (preferred) source to the binary they distribute.
> >
> Given other conversations on here about GPL issues, I'd be 
> surprised if there was really anything underhanded going on here.
> 
> On top of that, it's trechnically impossible for Real-VNC to 
> violate the GPL. They are the original Copyright holders of 
> the work. They can license and distribute only the files they 
> want to under the GPL. If you don't get the file from them 
> under the GPL then that file is not licensed under the GPL.
> 
> If they were modifying someone else's GPL work and the 
> *re*distributing it, without a file the original author had 
> included, then there'd be something fishy. But they are the 
> original author of VNC (at least as I understand it.)
> 
>     -Kyle
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